China's religious leaders Sunday called on the people of all nationalities, ethnic groups and beliefs in the world to join hands to create sound and harmonious lives of humankind and remove war forever.
  
Leaders of the national associations of China's five religions, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Christianism, made the call at a symposium held here to mark the 60th anniversary of China's resistance war against Japanese aggression and the world war against fascists.
  
At the start of the meeting, attended by more than 80 religious personnel, all the participants stood in silent tribute to martyrs and victims in the war.
  
China lost more than 35 million people and suffered more than US$560 billion of economic losses in the war.
  
"Peace is the common aspiration of all religions. Maintaining world peace is the holy mission of all religious followers," said one of the religious leaders.
  
The meeting issued a peace declaration of China's religious circle, which called on all religions to join hands and collectively work for maintaining world peace.
  
It raised several initiatives, which include:
  
-- Continue to organize prays for peace. All religions should make praying for peace an important content of regular religious rites. The week from Aug. 14 to 20 should continue to be the week of praying for world peace.
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- Promote instructions of peace and harmony.
 
-- Promote international religious exchanges, dialogue between religions and communication and unity among religious followers in the world.
  
"Peace is the common inspiration of all religions", says the declaration. "Beefing up unity and harmony among religions will surely produce far-reaching influence on world peace."
  
Four-fifths of the world's population are religious followers.

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2005)